Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-10

horseback-and came down into the vast
coffee groves and sugar estates below the
town. All day we rode through cultivated
fields Of pine-apples, bananas, sweet pota-
toes, corn, interpreted with orchards of
plantain and guava trees. Nothing more
beautiful can be imagined than garden
of platinoes, as the different varieties of
bananas and plantains are here called
their enormous leaves, like silken banners
Of pale green, dropping from smooth stems,
arching far above your head and trailing
on the ground. To be sure the, great
branches of golden fruit are said to be the
favorite breeding-place of scorpions, who
have an uncomfortable habit Of dropping
down upon your head in a wad at unex-
pected moments-and we are told that the
small, brownish species which abound in
this section are far more dangerous than
the big, black ones of Durango; but one
cares little for these minor evils after a
short residence in the tropics.
In a banana-grove our noon-day lunch
con was partaken al fresco eked out by
fresh fruit growing overhead; guavas,
oranges and pineapples =" borrowed !"
from nearby fields. Later we crossed an
other deep barranca and came to an Indian
village, hidden among coffee-trees, where
little rivers gurgled through the streets and
every hut was embowered in flowers.
In this region one frequently meets what
at first sight looks like the phenomenon of
tree-trunks ejecting water, which showers
around in small streams. Closer inspec-
ton, however, reveals the fact that the
tree is covered with
u-rrt- on
(Cicade spumaria), which is forever squirt
ing in all directions, making a noise like
the distant whistle of locomotive. They
are found only in the tropics, believe,
and abound chiefly in Central and South
America.
Away off in this direction, reached
through lanes bordered by towering trees,
is famous chapel called Chapultepec.
We made long detour to visit it, and on
climbing the tower for view, found a
stone bearing the date of its erection ::
" Ano 1877 old, perhaps, for the United
States, but in Mexico too recent to be in
teresting.
The first night was passed at Acapan-
singo-the prettiest Indian village | ever
saw, its cane cottages covered with lilacs
and white creepers, every lane of the town
Swallowed by poisoning trees and bordered
by running water. There are no inns, or
even mesons, in this out-of-the-way section
but so great is the hospitality of the peo-
pie, that the stranger is sure of cordial
welcome and the best the casa affords, at
whatever house he chooses to stop.
Here the expedition came near being
brought to an untimely close, by the asser-
tions of our host-backed up by several
neighbors whom he brought in to verify
his statements-thatw we had undertaken an
impossibility, at least by that route, be-
cause the barrancas ahead, which we must
cross to reach the cavern, were totally i'm
passible for ladies. They assured us that
so steep were the mountain paths and
passes, men and horses had been known
to fall backward in the ascent, or plunge
! forward, heels over head, in the perpen.
| dicular descent Since it is we'll known
that Mexican ladies are the best riders in
the world-Surpassing even their English
cousins in equestrian achievements, we
were plunged into the depths of despair, es-
| pecially after our rosy-cheeked companion,
de uoydge, th, German girls, voted de-
cidedly for abandoning the enterprise and
| lStu1 uilS llOiuc III TIE lllOTlllllp.
| AT this point the village Alcaldi-a tan
colored gentleman in bright-hued serape
sky-blue breecles and shirt worn outside
who had been loudest in offering discour,
agements, came to the rescue by suggesting
that there was another, though much
longer, route to the cavern, which possibly
might be tray ersed with safety, if we were
all good riders. Well, we were not-your
scribe especially being notably good-for
nothing in the saddle; but she wisely held
her peace, and to her great JOY it was al
length decided to go on in the morning, al
least to the limit of practicability. At thi.
point the Altaldi suggested that more
guides would be necessary, and offered tc
accompany us himself, with several of hi.
compatriots, for liberal consideration, tC
act as a sort Of relief corps, as it were, il
case of emergency, and convey us back tC
| town
| FOR REPAIRS OR FOR BURIAL,
As the case might require Long after.
wards we learned that we were on the
right road after all, proceeding, as first
intended, by much the safest route. What
the object of the hospitable Acapansingoans
could have been in thus misleading us into
| ~ anu III DltueH pdIIlS di the rlSK OF
our Gves-bey ond the few dollars gained
by the Alcaldi and his friends and the
price of two days entertainment-is one
of those unguessable conundrums one per-
petually encounters in Mexico. With all
their sweet politeness and generous hospi-
tality, these uncertain people sometimes
seem to take as much delight as the tabled
imps of the Katterskills in upsetting the
carefully-devised plans of the stranger
within their gates, and sending him off on
some wild-goose chase. However, in this
case we fiattered ourselves that the inter
ference arose from perhaps pardonable
desire on the part of the Alcaldi and his
appreciatiye neighbors to enjoy our society
as long as possible; and on that account we
forgave him, despite the hardships entailed
upon us and legacy of bumps and bruises.
But this rambling letter has made itself
so long already that we must defer the re-
mainder of it till another week.
FANNIE B. WARD.